Tom Coburn Draws Line in the House Sandbox: Sell Your Health Care Vote – Be Prepared to Defend It

by Maggie • March 18, 2010 • Comments Off on Tom Coburn Draws Line in the House Sandbox: Sell Your Health Care Vote – Be Prepared to Defend It

My Senator, Tom Coburn (R-OK), drew a line in the House sandbox today, and he made it clear to Democrats, if you sell your vote, be prepared to “defend” it. In essence, toys for your sandbox, in exchange for your vote, will not be brushed-off lightly. Unfortunately, these stark words are necessary with Obama’s Chicago politics in the White House. If you have a spare minute, send Senator Coburn a thank you email or fax. See contact info after the video.

Tom Coburn

[TRANSCRIPT] I want to send a couple of messages to my colleagues in the House. If you voted no, and you vote yes, and you lose your election, and you think any nomination to a federal position is not going to be held, I’ve got news for you, it’s going to be held.

No. 2 – If you get a deal, a parochial deal, for you or your district, I’ve already instructed my staff and the staff of seven other senators, that we will look at every appropriations bill and we will look at every level, at every instance, and we will outline it by every district, and we will associate that with the buying of your vote. So if you think you can cut a deal now and it not come out until after the elections, I want to tell you, that isn’t going to happen. Be prepared to defend selling your vote in the House.

This video is something you won’t often hear coming out of Congress:

Tom Coburn Draws the Line in the Sand: Advises House Democrats (video)

See a list of House Democrats who did and did not vote today to force the House to give up enacting health care using the Slaughter House Rule at Michelle Malkin’s. Ace of Spades notes that this was not a vote to implement the Slaughter House Rule, it was a GOP motion to stop the House from using the Slaughter House Rule.

Ace also talks about Dr. Coburn’s steel demeanor and “balls-out” action on health care. And here is a good discussion by Jack at Ace of Spades, on why the 222 votes are not too worrisome because it is all about Democrats saving-face.

Thank you to NiceDeb for the video and a good article on Coburn’s oped today saying the “health bill is malpractice.”

Linked by Memorandum – see what others are saying about Coburn and the Slaughter House Rule